Rick Springfield: The Beat of the Live Drum

Soap opera heartthrob (Dr. Noah Drake, General Hospital) turned Grammy award winning pop singer Rick Springfield serves up 15 tunes from the big hair '80s in this 1985 concert that combines live songs (including hits such as "Jessie's Girl," "Don't Talk to Strangers," "Affair of the Heart," and "Bop 'Til You Drop") with music videos from his then-current Tao album ("Celebrate Youth," "Dance This World Away"). While Springfield's overwrought onstage theatrics are annoyingly ham-fisted (even by rock star standards) and fake (his guitar is used more as a prop than an actual instrument), thousands of adoring fans (many of whom appeared to be over the age of 12) ate it up. To be fair, several of Springfield's tunes have successfully stood the test of time (you can't pick up an '80s anthology that doesn't include "Jessie's Girl"), and they are nicely showcased on this Dolby Digital 5.1 sound enhanced disc. Sure to be a nostalgia rush for a certain segment of your patron base, this is recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)